.png)
.png)
Did you know that chocolate biscuit cake is the favourite tea-time treat of Queen Elizabeth? Once you’ve made and tasted this indulgently rich, fudgey and chocolatey treat you’ll understand why! My chocolate-orange adaptation of biscuit cake is so unbelievably easy and tastes out of this world - it literally is a dessert fit for a queen!
If you’re feeling a little lazy (don't we all sometimes?!) or are rushed on time, but still want to whip up something wonderfully tasty and decadent, look no further - this recipe is completely hassle-free and results in a a rich, fudgey and chocolatey treat that will satisfy your inner-baker as well as your sweet tooth.
I cannot begin to tell you just how easy this “cake” is to make. No ovens, no mixers, no multiple bowls and spoons - no worries! All you need is a pot of simmering water on a hob topped with a heat proof bowl to gently melt your ingredients together, a wooden spoon to mix in your biscuits and sultanas, and a lined cake tin to press your mixture into and allow everything to set up nicely. And voila! Easy peasy!
The addition of orange oil to the melted chocolate mixture, in my honest opinion, seriously brings this dessert to the next level, but the beauty of this cake if that you can totally adapt it to your taste. Why not swap out the orange oil for a peppermint oil extract, or perhaps leave out the flavourings altogether and play around with your add-ins? I simply use digestive biscuits and some sultanas in my recipe, but you could throw in some nuts, honeycomb, freeze dried berries or mini marshmallows if you wanted to! The possibilities are endlessly tasty!!
TIPS
Make sure you are using an oil-based extract when flavouring your mixture. Alcohol-based extracts can sometimes cause chocolate to bloom and split during the melting process. For the same reason, if you choose to top your cake with coloured white chocolate, you should also use powdered or oil based colouring to add to your melted white chocolate rather than water or alcohol based colourings.
I like to line both the bottom and sides of my cake pan with grease-proof paper. This helps the set "cake" to release from the pan smoothly and easily with no scarring on the edges. You can also use clingfilm if you prefer, although this can cause little crease marks on the edges.
EASY, NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE ORANGE BISCUIT-CAKE
Prep time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Chilling time: 45-60mins
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients List:
"Cake"
200g Milk chocolate
200g Dark chocolate
130g Unsalted butter
200g Golden syrup (corn syrup would be the next best option if you can't get hold on golden syrup)
330g Biscuits (Digestives or Rich Tea)
100g Sultanas
1tsp Oil based orange extract
Decorated Topping
200g White Chocolate
1/2 tsp Vegetable oil
Orange food colouring
50g Dark Chocolate
Method:
1. Line a 6 or 7 inch cake pan with grease proof paper, covering both the sides and bottom of the tin.
2. Fill a large pot of water about 1/3 way full and set over a medium heat until gently simmering
3. Break the dark and milk chocolate into chunks and place in a heat proof bowl along with the butter and golden syrup, then rest the bowl over the pan of simmering water. The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the surface of the hot water, but should be about 2 inches above. Allow the chocolate and butter to gently melt, stirring occasionally.
4. As the chocolate mixture melts, break your biscuits up into roughly 1/2 inch pieces. I prefer to do this by hand but you can also put biscuits in a ziplock bag and tap gently with a rolling pin to break up. Try not to break the biscuits too much - we want chunks not crumbs!
5. When the chocolate-butter mixture is fully melted and combined, add the orange extract and stir through for 20 seconds or so. Remove the bowl from the heat. Mix in your broken biscuits and sultanas until evenly distributed.
6. Spoon the mixture into your prepared tin and press the mixture tightly and evenly into the pan with the back of a large spoon or spatula (I use a potato masher!). Put in the fridge to cool and firm up slightly for approximately 20 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, break up your white chocolate and gently melt with 1/2 tsp vegetable oil, using the same double-boiler method used to melt your chocolate previously. Colour with orange food colouring until you reach your desired shade, then pour evenly over the top of the "cake". Melt the 50g of dark chocolate in the same way then spoon in small blobs over the surface of the orange-white chocolate. Use a skewer, toothpick or cake tester to swirl the dark chocolate through the orange chocolate mixture to create a marble effect. Leave to set in the fridge for a further 25-40 minutes, or until completely set.
8. Allow cake to thaw slightly before serving. The cake will be relatively hard so be sure to use a large, sturdy knife and take care when cutting.